After 6 weeks...

"Last Post: September 1, 2010"
Oh dear.
Apparently the Weavers aren't so good at this whole blogging and keeping-people-informed thing. So sorry. (Repentance should be followed by change- I always say- so hopefully we'll update sooner next time.)

Today our family, along with the Smuckers, visited Mr. Remsford. Mr. Remsford lives about half an hour from JRM (think muddy back roads, treacherous ditches, and a worn-out green bus). Mr. Remsford's legs end in stumps, just below his knees; he wears volleyball knee pads and walks on his knees. (When Mr. Remsford was younger someone was mad at him and poured acid into his boots to get revenge.) Whenever we visit Remsford, he shows about 27 different plants and all their uses: treat dandruff, remove warts, Karen's sore throat, mosquito bites, heart problems, etc. ("Here, this treats warts." Remsford says, as he vigorously scrubs a leafy plant up Carissa's arm.) Mr. Remsford is a sweet old man, but he doesn't know Jesus. He has some Rastafarian beliefs and he thinks heaven is here on earth. Pray that Remsford would realize that he's not good enough on his own, and he needs a Savior.

Mr. Remsford and his plant remedies

On the way back from Remsford's, we visited Alison, the lady our youth group built a house for last summer. It was so fun to see Alison again, and spend some time with her children. We even got to meet her little boy (she was pregnant when we built the house).

Patrick and Kirby with the kids

In other news.

Friday afternoons we all head up to Montpelier to do a Bible club at the kindergarten JRM started several years ago. Here in Jamaica, children start school around 3 years old. Some of the kids are so shy, other scream and jump on us as soon as we arrive. We've been doing flannel graph Bible stories with the kids, but most of them are way more interested in the flannel people and animals than the actual story. :)

Dad with his little friend Ayanna (she's one of the shy ones)

a bunch of the students...

Right up from the school lives an elderly woman named Iona. Iona is sick and frail... About 7 years ago, Iona took in 2 small children who didn't have a home. Kimona and Javon, now 10 and 7, still live with her. The children aren't able to go to school, because they don't have money for a taxi. Earlier this week Mom and Dad stopped in at Iona's house and met her step-sister who had paid for KimKim and Javon to go to a free public school for the day. Dad is currently setting up an account for Kimona and Javon to be sponsored. Please pray that Iona would know Jesus before she dies and that the children would get a sponsor so they can attend school.

That's all for now...
God bless.

Abby, for the family

Church at the Mission

Today is our Sunday to have church in our dining room. It is a large room, with an amazing view of Montego Bay. Herb started rearranging the furniture after breakfast. There are two long tables and several round tables that get pushed against the wall. We line up chairs in about 7 or 8 rows, about six chairs each. We have a dark-colored cupboard in our house that we move into the dining room, this serves as the pulpit.

A little before 10am, Judy takes the "bus" to go pick up a load of neighbors. Pastor Ramsey and his wife Beverly arrive. They are an older couple, maybe 60-70, but young at heart. Pastor Ramsey is semi-retired, and goes around preaching in three to four churches each month. He has a deep relationship with the Lord and desires to see churches grow and become self-sustaining.

The service began with Herb welcoming everyone. We had a time of singing with Dallas leading. Then two of the nannies had a Bible story for the children using a flannel graph. At one point, I needed to kick at Rocky, our dog that tried to come inside. We sang a few songs for the children, then Dallas, Judy, Patrick and I sang a song. In Jamaica, they like to have a "special item" for the service; special singing, reading a poem, sharing a testimony, etc.

Pastor Ramsey preached on Psalm 113- Praising the Lord. He made the comment that God ordered the seasons in all the lands, so that while we are sleeping people across the world are waking to praise Him. He needs to be praised all the time! We are His servants, here to praise Him... the message touched me. I want to be His servant in all I do; including the many meals I cook here, the dishes that we wash and rewash and rerewash. :)

We are excited to begin having services here twice a month, starting this month. Pastor Ramsey and another pastor are helping us get started. We have interest from our neighbors, especially Shelly Ann, her seven children, and her neighbor lady, Diann with her three grandsons. Please pray for this new outreach. We feel it will open up opportunities here at the mission like never before. We really want to begin a Kid's Club, and Shelley's house is becoming too crowded for the weekly Bible Study. The board of JRM has unanimously approved the building of a church on the property here. When Dallas and Judy leave next week, they plan on going home and raising the funds for it. If this is God's will, the money will come! We have high hopes of beginning to build by early next year.

Please pray with us for God's will to be done on Bogue Hill! This is a place where Satan has ruled, where people take justice into their own hands. A couple of weeks ago a young man killed his brother over a personal dispute, about half-mile down the road. A few months back, some youth were in the process of stoning an old man. Thankfully they were interupted. Shelley's neighbor is a practicing witch. These people need Jesus so badly- to "heal the brokenhearted, proclaim liberty to the captives...comfort all who mourn, give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of priase for the spirit of heaviness." (Isaiah 61:1-3)

-Glenda

Cynthia's Cornmeal Porridge

First, fill your med. sized pot about half full of water. Add three cinnamon leaves. You can get them at the market. Remember to ask for the leaves, otherwise they will give you the powder. But don't go into the market too far, it's not safe. And never take your pocketbook along! People will try to steal it. Also get a nutmeg nut, and grate about 1/3 of it into the water. You can get these by the dozen at the market also. Let this boil a few minutes, then take the leaves out. Some people let the leaves in, but they stick to the bottom and it's not "nice".

Next, mix about one cup of cornmeal powder with one packet of coconut powder. Add water, about a cup, and one scoop (1/2 cup) of brown sugar. Also add salt, "about a quarter teaspoon". (It looks more like a teaspoon to me, measured into her hand or a large spoon.) Add this mixture to the boiling pot. Stir it for a little as it cooks. She tells me I will have to cook the porridge longer because my cornmeal was not the refined kind.

After it has cooked, mix one packet of soy vanilla-flavored milk powder with water. (It looked about like one cup. If you don't have the milk packet, you can add regular milk.) Add this to the porridge, and about a teaspoon of vanilla. Remember to never let it boil after the milk is added. Enjoy! Very good and easy on the stomach. Her diabetic husband enjoys it for breakfast.

One day at a time...

"I promise you, nobody leaves home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property for my sake or the Gospel's without getting back a hundred times over, now in this present life, homes and brothers and SISTERS, mothers and children and land- though not without persecution- and in the next, eternal life." JESUS

Friday, July 16, started out as an ordinary day. With a group here, my kitchen and laundry-room were not my own. I felt like my time was spent answering questions and helping others, with not much alone time. I even struggled at times with selfish feelings of wanting my own space back...
About mid-morning, our family went to Mt. Pelier to teach Bible School. The story was about Mephibosheth from the family of Jonathon, and how David invited him to come live with him in the palace all the time. The parallel being God invites us to come and continually dine with him, live our lives with Him... Did they get it? I have no idea. Some plant, some water, some harvest. They were really still and listening.
In the afternoon, Candy came over to braid hair. She is our neighbor Shelly Ann's daughter. A sweet sixteen year old, she seems more like thirteen. I was watching her braid, and had some good conversation with the youth involved. Then it was time to start supper. Fridays are my evening to cook/babysit the children to give the nannies a break. Cutting up green beans, carrots and cho cho, Candy decided to help me. One thing led to another, her heart is so soft towards spiritual things! She admitted she's not a Christian, but wanted me to explain what it means to be one. She was so ready, nervous but ready, to leap into the arms of Jesus! On this soo ordinary day, I have a new sister in the Lord. Please, please pray for Candy! Her road will not be easy, she'll have to cut a different path than the one known to her and her culture. Almost unheard of. Impossible? No way, she's got JESUS. :)

The First Week

We arrived in Montego Bay, Jamaica around lunchtime on Tuesday, June 15. Everything went well with all our luggguge, customs, etc. We spent the rest of our first day getting settled in: starting the unpacking, exploring the mission, and trying to get organized. That evening, we had supper with the nannies and mission children, and spent a little bit of time getting to know everyone.
We spent most of Wednesday in town... We had some paperwork to fill out for our visas, and we went to the MegaMart for groceries. Dad even got a 5% senior discount at the grocery store! Dad was also practicing his Jamaican-driving for some of the day, with Mom gasping from the backseat. :)
Thursday we stayed back at the mission, finishing unpacking and trying to get settled in. In the evening, Candi, a neighbor girl, made fish for us to try.
Today we are going to Mt. Pelier, a small school about half-an-hour from here, to do a Bible club...
So far things are going well... Thanks for your prayers!
-Abby, for the Weavers